Cotton harvester



Nov. 10, 1959 A. L. HUBBARD COTTON I-IARVES'I'ER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Origihal Filed Dec. 9, 1957 INVENTOR. A. L. HUBBARD Gigi) W- M ATTORNEYS N Nov. 10, 1959 A. L. HUBBARD COTTON HARVESTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Dad. 9, 1957 w 8 5 I 2 9 G 6 v 7 g 6 I "Ir SL 7 H m 6 6. 6 l 7 B 4 f m F5 7 8 w M 5 6 9% w 9 E 8 4 5 w 9 M 4 4 2 I 5 3 4 I B B 5 6 m I I 76, N 5 m 4\ O I 2 4 3 5 B 4 M B M I W I 1 /w 9 I I 2 1% W. m

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, INVENTORl A. HUBBARD I Nov. 10, 1959 A. L. HUBBARD 2,

' COTTON HARVESTER Original Filed Dec. 9, 1957 4 '4 sheet -sheet 4 V INVENTOR. A. HUBBARD ATTORNEYS cotton may be transferred to the conveying means.

COTTON HARVESTER Arthur L. Hubbard, Des Moines, Iowa, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Deere & Company, a corporation of Delaware Original application December 9, 1957, Serial No. 701,541. Divided and this application March 9, 1959, Serial No. 798,307

11 Claims. (Cl. 302-58) This invention relates to a cotton harvester of the type in which an upright spindle drum operates to move spindles through a cotton plant for purposes of detaching the bolls from the plant and to then move the spindles inwardly of a picker housing. A doffing mechanism operates to remove the bolls from the spindles and to feed them into suction ducts. More particularly this invention relates to housing means for use in combination with this type of harvester which will relieve the effect of air turbulence asociated with and created as a result of operation of the spindle drum, dofling mechanism, and suction ducts.

This is a division of a pending application, Ser. No. 701,541, filed December 9, 1957, now having issued as U.S. Patent 2,904,948.

A representative cotton picker of the general class referred to is disclosed in the U.S. patent to Paradise 2,660,852, wherein it will be seen that the picking machine operates over a field in which the cotton is planted in rows, the machine having one or more picking units for picking from the rows. Each picking unit includes picking spindles that are barbed and rotate to pull the cotton from the ripened bolls as the machine advances,

the spindles being arranged in a drum which rotates at a relatively high rate of speed as a unit to carry the spindles in an orbit through the plants and then back through a doffing mechanism from which the cotton is doifed for ultimate transfer to a basket or receptacle by pneumatic conveying means. The dofling mechanism normally includes a doffing drum comprised of a plurality of vertically spaced dofiing plates which operate at a relatively high rate of rotation. The basket is relatively remote from the doffing mechanism and the pneumatic conveying means includes a cotton and air inlet adjacent to the forward end of the picking unit and forwardly of the dofiing means so that the dolled it is conventional practice to provide the cotton and air inlet in the form of a door that encloses the picking unit at the side thereof to which the dofiing mechanism is adjacent, the door having an imperforate outer panel and an inner panel provided with the inlet opening. The doors hinge so that access may be had to the picking mechanism.

In the above type of picking mechanism, there is considerable air turbulence created not only by the effect of the suction but also as a result of the high rate of rotation of both the spindle drum and the dofiing drum. There is also generally created a problem of eliminating trash collected on the spindles in the picking operation from the picking mechanism prior to the cotton being the cotton.

United States Patent vIt is a main object of this invention to provide a door which includes the means for attachment to the suction duct which is perforated or grilled sufficiently to permit clean air being fed into the suction ducts to enter the ducts through the perforated or grilled Walls of the door. The purpose of the perforated walls is to prevent the trash within the picking and dofiing areas to be drawn into the suction ducts and into the baskets.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those familiar with the art as the present invention is described in relation to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a cotton harvester and its associated tractor.

Fig. 2 is a rear side perspective of the picker housing and other portions of the harvester.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view showing the structure at the base of the picker housings.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the door taken substantially along the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 66 of Fig. 3. V

Fig. 7 is an enlarged exploded perspective view showing details of the door structure.

The picking machine chosen for purposes of illustration comprises a supporting frame or body 10 which is conventionally a tractor operated in reverse to advance the cotton harvester over the field. Visible in Fig. 1 are the rear tractor wheels 11, 12. The tractor 10 carries forwardly thereof a picking mechanism housing structure, indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 13, having a fore-and-aft extending picking passageway or throat 14 positioned centrally in the housing and extending lengthwise of the housing. The purpose of the throat is to permit the row planted cotton to pass through the harvesting mechanism. The supporting structure between the tractor 1t and the housing 13 is also of conventional design and is of no importance relative to the present invention. However, a preferred arrange ment for mounting the harvester on the tractor 10 is shown and described in detail in U.S. Patent 2,719,394 issued to Fred A. Thomann and Robert H. Meier, October 4, 1955.

The body or tractor 10 carries a forwardly positioned operators platform 15 on which is supported a seat 16 and a steering wheel 17 for guiding the machine. Cotton plants are guided into the throat or passageway 14 by dividers or plant lifters 18. Also supported on the tractor 10 is a large basket or container 20 into which the cotton bolls are blown through a blower duct 21. A blower, indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 22, provides air for the duct 21. The intake for the blower 22 is provided at opposite ends of its housing by a pair of suction ducts 23, 24 which extend downwardly and forwardly from the blower 22 and are connected to the forward end of and on opposite sides of the housing structure 13. Elbow couplings 25, 26 are provided at the intake end of the suction ducts 23, 24 and are in turn connected to opposite side portions of the housing structure 13. Just forwardly of the blower 22 is an additional fan '36 and a pair of forwardly and downwardly extending flexible pipes 31, 32 which serve to move air from the fan 3% to the rear portion of the housing structure 13. Other than the fan 30 and its associated discharge pipes 31, 32 the picker, up to this point, is more or less of conventional design and such has been described only for purposes of orientation. The description so far has generally been limited to the mechanism for moving the cotton bolls from the picking mechanism to the container or basket 20. p

Referring now to Fig. 3, the harvester is composed of a pair of harvesting mechanisms or picking units 40, 41 positioned on the left and right sides of the throat or passage 14- respectively. The right picking unit 41 is composed of a picker housing formed by front or forward upright wall structure 12 generally imperforate and extending around the front portion of the unit 41. The exact configuration of the front housing structure 42 is unimportant other than to recognize that it does enclose completely the forward end of the picking mech anism. Side or passage adjacent wall structure 43 extends from the inner end or edge of the forward housing structure 42 rearwardly. As is conventional, the housing structure 43 adjacent to the passage 14 is composed of a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal grid bars which form between them fore-and-aft extending passages through which the spindles on the picking drum (later to be explained) may pass into the passage 14. At the rear of the unit 41 there is provided rear upright wall structure 45 which is generally disposed transversely to the direction of travel of the harvesting unit. The rear housing structure is formed at its right end by a plurality of vertically disposed and transversely spaced apart bars 46 forming a grille or air intake opening through which a natural flow of air between the atmosphere and the inside of the housing structure is permitted. The left end of the rear end of the upright housing structure 45 has a large upright and elongated trash discharge opening 47 through which trash leaving the spindles on the spindle drum (later to be described) may pass. All of the housing structure 41, 43, and 45 are flanged at their lower and upper ends such as at 4-3, 4?, and 56 to provide both strength to the housing structures and to provide means for attaching the upright sides to the top and the bottom of the housing structures. The bottom of the housing structure (shown generally in Fig. 4) comprises a pair of fore-and-aft extending plates 55, 56 which are fixed at the front and rear ends to the flanges 48 and 59 respectively. The forward end of the flange 4& on the side upright structure is fixed to the forward end of the plate 55. The plates 55, 56 are spaced transversely apart to provide a generally open bottom at the base of the picking unit 41.

The unit 41 is therefore enclosed generally at the front, inner side and rear by the upright housing structures 42, 43, and 45 thereby leaving an open outer side. It should here be understood that the terms inner, outer," outwardly, and inwardly refer generally to the location of the particular part or section relative to the throat or passage 14-, the structure adjacent the throat being considered the innermost part of the harvester. Provision is made for closing the outer side of the housing compartment by means of a fore-and-aft extending door structure indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 69. The door 69 is hingedly mounted for horizontal movement on a forward bracket 61 which extends outwardly from the bottom plate 56 at the base of the unit 41. A vertical pivot 62 is provided at the end of the bracket 61 to permit horizontal swinging of the door 6%.

The door structure 69 comprises rigidly connected panel means including an upright sheet as having the shape of a U, with a bight or front upright panel 66 and inner and outer upright panels 67, 68 respectively extending rearwardly from opposite ends of the front panel or bight 6d to respective upright rear terminal edges 67R, 6311 respectively. The panels 67, 66 are substantially parallel and spaced apart transversely and have horizontally coplanar flanged top edges 67T, 613T and horizontally coplanar flanged bottom edges 67B, 683. The outer panel 68 is longer than the inner panel 67 in fore-and-aft dimension to dispose its rear flanged edge 63R rearwardly beyond the rear edge 67R of the inner panel 67. An upright transverse partition panel is spaced rearwardly from the bight or front panel 66 near the rear edge 67R of the inner panel 67 and has opposite upright flanged edges 694 and 690 fixed to the inner and outer panels 67, 68 respectively. The panel 69 has an upper edge 6 9T in coplanar relation to the edges 67T, 681" and a lower edge 59B spaced vertically from the edges 67B, 6813, thereby forming with the panels 67, 68 a boll passage or opening 76 A top panel plate 77, substantially equal in length to the outer panel 63, has its inner and outer fore-andaft edge portions 774, 770 secured respectively to the panel top edges 67T, 655T and further has its rear edge 77R transverse to the outer panel at the junction of the top and rear edges of said outer panel. The top plate 77 also has a front edge adjacent an upper edge 66U of the front or bight panel A bottom plate 71, closing the lower side of the opening 70, has a front edge 73F coincident with and secured to a bottom edge 66B of the front panel as and has inner and outer fore-and-aft edge portions 71-1, 714) secured respectively to the bottom edges 67B, 68B of the side panels 67, 63. The bottom plate 71 has a transverse rear edge 71R in vertical alinement with the rear edge 77R of the top plate 77. An upright rear wall panel 76 has top and bottom flanged edges 76T, 7&3 secured to rear edges 77R, 71R of the top and bottom plates 77, and an outer edge 7&0 secured to the rear edge 68R of the outer panel. The rear wall has an upright inner edge 76-4 to provide, with the inner panel rear edge 67R and the inner edge portions 77-1, 71-1 of the top and bottom plates 77, 71 that exceed the length of the inner panel, a rectangular inner side opening in the door structure.

Viewing Figures 5, 7, it is obvious that the partition panel 69 serves to divide the door structure 64) into front and rear compartments 66F, dR respectively, the rear compartment 66R opening into the picker housing through its inner side opening for receiving bolls from the harvesting mechanism The outer panel as is characterized by having a portion, as indicated by the reference numeral 75 of the panel rearward of the transverse panel 69, perforate or grilled. Similarly, the upper panel 77 is characterized by having a portion, as indicated by the reference numeral 79, rearward 0f the panel perforate or grilled. The rear panel 76 has an upright elongated strip of perforated metal, this being indicated by the reference numeral 81. Therefore, it is obvious that the rear compartment 66R is perforate to permit passage of air. Also, since the partition 69 is near the rear edge 67R of the inner panel 67, the door structure may be described as having at least a portion of the outer side panel 68, top panel 77, and rear panel 76 rearward of the rear edge 57R of the inner panel as being at least partially perforate. It should be noted that the term perforate or grilled when used in the present specification and claims is meant to be inclusive of all porous material or structure such as fabric, expanded metal, grille work, battles, louvers, etc. which would permit air to pass, and while the present grille structure is shown as having perforations in the metal any of the other ty es of perforate material or structure would suflice. It should also be noted that while the upper, side, and rear panels of the rear compartment 66R is shown as all being perforate, the exact degree of perforation as well as the exact num ber of panels being perforated is unimportant as long as at least a part of the panels forming the rear compartment 66R is perforated to supply air to the suction duct 23.

The exact method of fixing the panels of door structure to one another is unimportant for purposes of this invention. In practice, spot welding is used, but other types of connections such as riveting or bolt and nuts would be satisfactory.

The door structure 6+3 is pivotally mounted on the bracket 61 by means of a bolt 62 which extends through an opening 84 in the bottom panel 71. The door panel is connected to the elbow 25 by means of a conduit joint 8% composed of an upper extension of the night or front the top plate 77 and which complements the extension of the bight portion 77 to form the cylindrical joint 80.

As is clear, the forward compartment 66F is imperforate except for the common opening 70 and the conduit joint opening.

Supported on the picker housing of the right picking unit 41 is an upright hollow plate member 85 positioned at the rear of the picking unit 41. The hollow plate member 85 is in cross section in the shape of tWo triangles, one portion 86 which extends forwardly from the rear wall structure 45 into the picker housing and a second portion 87 which extends rearwardly from the wall structure 45 and out of the picker housing. As may be seen in Fig. 3 the member 85 serves basically to separate the trash opening 47 from the air intake opening formed by the bars 46. The upright hollow member 85 is closed at both ends with the exception of a pipe extension, not shown, in an upper plate 89 on which the fan conduit 32 is mounted. The purpose of the connection is obviously to permit a pressure build-up within the hollow plate member. Vent and slot means 95 are provided in an inner face of the forwardly extending triangular portion 86 and serve the purpose of directing air through the trash opening 47. The slot and vent means 95 extend the .length of the member 85.

The right picking unit 41 has a rearwardly extending bracket 96, extending from the rear of the picker housing, supporting a spring 97 which operates to bias a presser plate 98, the purpose of which is to maintain the cotton plants in contact with the picking spindles of the adja 7 cent unit 40.

Positioned internally of the housing compartment is a generally centrally located spindle drum 100 composed of a plurality of rows of picking spindle mechanism which are spaced apart vertically on the order of the spacing of the grid bars so as to permit spindles 101 to pass in the fore-and-aft extending slot or grooves between the grid bars 44 and to move front to rear in the passage 14. The spindles rotate on their axes and upon their being positioned in the stalk passage 14 operate to snag the cotton fibers and consequently to dislodge the cotton bolls from their plants. The spindle drum 100 rotates in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. 3, so that the spindles 101 will move in an orbit from front to rear in the stalk passage 14 and then inwardly of the housing compartment. The spindle drum 100 is shown generally in representative form and is described only generally for purposes of this invention. The drum 100 is supported on the horizontal plate 55 by means of a bearing support 102 also shown in representative form in Fig. 4. The spindle drum 100 is driven by means of an upright spindle drive shaft 103 which is driven by suitable drive mechanism, not shown, contained in an upper housing 103 positioned above the picking units 40, 41. Likewise, drive mechanism for operating the individual spindles 101 is also provided in that housing. The exact type of drive for operating the spindles and spindle drum are for purposes of this invention unimportant. Should a further detailed study of the drive mechanism be desired, such may be obtained by reference to U.S. Patent 2,721,436, issued to Mr. A. L. Hubbard, which shows a detailed study of the drive mechanism. The entire drive mechanism is driven from the power take-off shaft on the tractor through a series of universal joints, as at 104, and a drive shaft 105. Conventional type shielding 106 is provided over the drive from the power take-off shaft.

Provided at the rear and at the outer side of the picking unit 41 is an upright dofiing assemblage or drum 110. The drum cooperates with the spindles for doffing the cot ton bolls therefrom. As may be seen in Fig. 3, the doffing drum 110 is positioned adjacent the opening between the upright rear edge 67R and the rear panel 76 in the door '6 structure 60. Also, the dofiing structure is directly forward of the bars 46 forming the air intake opening. Again, the doffing structure is shown in more or less representative form, the exact details being unimportant for the present invention, the important feature being its general location in the picking unit 41 and relative to the housing structure. The doifing drum rotates in the direction of the arrow B.

The picking unit 40 to the left of the passage 14 is generally similar to that of the right unit 41. The left picker housing is composed of front or forward upright wall structure across the forward end of the unit, and inner or passage-adjacent side structure 121 positioned adjacent the plant passage 14. The inner side 121 is composed of a plurality of fore-and-aft extending vertically spaced grid bars 122 which permits the spindles of the spindle drum to pass. At the rear of the unit is upright wall structure 123 which forms a trash discharge opening 124 at the right rear end of the picking unit 40. The rear upright housing structure 123 is also composed of a plurality of vertically disposed transversely spaced apart bars 125 which provides an air inlet opening to permit air to enter into the picker housing. The picker housing is further characterized by having an open-bottom structure including a diagonally extending brace member 126 which extends across the bottom of the compartment and a fore-and-aft extending outer structure member 127 which extends the length of the housing compartment. Extending outwardly from the fore-andaft extending member 127 is a bracket 128 having a vertical pivot 129 which supports the horizontal swinging door structure 130. Other structural members such as art 131, 132 operate to reenforce the entire housing compartment. A forwardly extending horizontal brace or bracket 133 serves to support a spring 134 and presser plate 135 which operate to maintain the cotton plants in contact with the spindles 101 of the adjacent picking drum 100.

A hollow upright member is positioned at the rear of the left picking unit 40 and is composed in cross section of a forwardly extending triangular shaped portion 141 which extends inwardly from the rear wall structure 123 into the harvesting compartment, and a rearwardly extending triangularly shaped portion 142 which extends rearwardly from the upright wall structure 123. As is clearly evident from viewing Figs. 2 and 3, the hollow structure 140 serves to separate the air inlet formed by the rods 125 and the trash discharge outlet 124 in the rear wall structure. Again the hollow structure is completely enclosed except for a pipe connection 143 in the top plate 144 of the member which fits into the flexible fan duct or pipe 31, and a series of vertically disposed vent and slot means 145 which is cut into the inner facing of the forwardly extending portion 141 and which permits air passing into the hollow member to be directed inwardly and rearwardly through the trash discharge opening 124.

The left-hand door 130 is similar to the right-hand door 60 on the right picking unit 41 and operates to close the open outer side of the picker housing. Briefly, the door 130 is formed by a U-shaped sheet having the bight or curbed portion 151 of the U forming the forward end of the door and the legs 152 and 153 forming the inner and outer panels of the door. The door is separated into forward and rear compartments by means of a vertical transverse panel 154. The forward compartment is imperforate except for a conduit opening which is connected to the elbow 26 and a lower boll receiving opening, not shown, between a bottom plate 157 and the lower terminal edge of the vertical plate 154. The rear compartment is composed of a perforated side 158, a perforated top panel 159 (Fig. 2), and a perforated rear panel 160. As may be recognized, the door structure 150 is generally similar to the already described door structure 60, and therefore, details are generally omitted,

37 since reference to the previous description should clear up any question as to its construction.

A spindle drum 165 composed of a plurality of rows of spindles which move from front to rear through the grid bars 122 is mounted on the diagonal brace 126. Individual spindles 166 on the drum res rotate about their own axis and are provided with means for snagging the bets in the cotton bolls for picking the bolls from the plants. The drum 165', being to the rear of the opposite spindle drum Hi8, incorporates fewer spindles in its picking operation, this being conventional in the normal type of cotton harvester. Adjacent and to the rear of the spindle drum 165 is a dofi'lng drum 371' which is com posed of a series of vertical do'lfing plates spaced on the order of rows of spindles and which operates in the usual manner to dislodge the cotton from the spindles. As may be seen in Fig. 3, and as indicated by the arrows C and D, the spindle drurn .65 and the uoffing drum. 17$ operate in a clockwise direction. Both drums 16s and 176 are supported basically on the diagonal brace. 126 and operate through drive mechanism incorporated in the transverse housing The housing M3 serves to close the picking compartments of both the picking units 4! 43 from above and also serve to interconnect the compartments, such housing 1133 being clearly shown in Fig. l as traversing the stalk passage id. Other details of the left picking unit are similar in many respects to that of the unit 41 on the right or are similar in operation or in mechanism to the structures shown and described in the pate its previously referred to.

In operation the cotton harves LI operates in the following manner. As the harvester moves forwardly over be field, cotton plants will move into and through the passage i=3 where they will be first encountered by the right picking unit 41 and particularly by the spindles it)?! of the spindle drum it'll Both the ndles till and the spindle drum will rotate at a relatively high rate of rotation about their respective axes. Consequently, as the spindles move out of the passage rearwardly and inwardly of the harvesting compartment, there will be u n ural tendency for the trash which has also been picked W1 h the cotton to be thrown centrifugaily first from the individual spindles and then from the spindle drum 1%. T e trash will tend to depart from the drum lltlll centrifugaily and in the direction of the arrows El, E2. it should here be noted that prior to the spindles reaching the dolhng mechanism ill the cotton will be held rather tightly by the spindles and there is very little likelihood of such depa ing from the spindles in a centrifugal action. A" may be seen in Fig. 3. the trash leaving in the direction of arrow El will depart unrnolested through the t h o g The trash ring the spindies in the direction of the E2 "v n encounter or will be blocked by the for 'urdly extending portion of the bolls pl d the apex or ier .r Ml edge of the an 36 will id to peel Off the tra. The air 1 2g from the hollow me. Q will cause the trash to be redirected through the opening 4'7 again to discarded thro" 3 the trash opening. It will be noted that the or erminal edge of the triangular shaped portion 36 is su tially at the point of intersection between the dofier plates and the spindles Elli. Therefore, the member 8; is so positioned as to peel off the maximum quau 'y of trash from the spindles just prior to their ente into contact with the doffing mechanism ill The dotting unit t) through its high rate of rotation creates a draft dir ted to the forward end of the do structure will be noted that the panel 67 has its rear terminal edge 67R substantially at circumference of the doher drum and conseque cotton will not be permitted to pass back into the picker housing once it has entered door structure. in a similar vein, a low pressure area is formed forward of the bars 46 and air will be fed to the dofiing structure through the bars 46 in the direction of the arrow F. The air entering through the bars 46 will be relatively clean air inasmuch as it is drawn directly from the atmosphere. In the past, the picker housing at as has normally been closed and air for the doffing structure 110 has been fed directly from the spindle area and has included a considerable quantity of trash accumulated by the spindles and its picking operation. In the present invention, there is the provision first, that the trash is removed from the spindles and discharged through the opening 47 as Well as posi tively blocked from entering the dofling area. Second, the air from the spindle area is normally cut oil" from the doffed cotton area by means of the triangular shaped inwardly extending portion 86 and by the side panel 67 of the door. By providing an air inlet, as formed by the bars &5, adjacent to the dofiing structure Hi) there is no requirement to draw air from the spindle area and consequently the contaminated or trash laden air within the s indle area is not passed on through the dolfer and into the suction duct 23.

Referring now to the door 6b in which the cotton dotted from the spindles is driven, it would be noted that air is provided for the suction duct 23 through the perforated or grilled panel portions 75, '76 and 79 on the side, rear, and top of the door 69, and air is drawn into the door structure in the direction of the arrows G1, G2. in the past, the panels of the door have normally been completely imperforated and air has been drawn directly from the spindle area with the effect that trash accumulated by the spindles in the picking operation was drawn directly into the suction duct 23. Again, by providing the triangular shaped member as to extend adjacent the periphery of the dofifer 11b and the rear edge 67R of the inner panel 67 to extend adjacent the opposite side of the dotler ill picking mechanism is in effect separated by panels from the suction area of the picking unit. -Consequently, the trash attracted by the picking of the cotton bolls is prevented or blocked from entering into the suction or door area of the picking unit. Also, by providing the air inlet for the suction duct 23 in the panels of the door ea relatively clean air is drawn into the pick.- ing unit 42 and fed through the duct system 23. This in effect prevents accumulation of trash in the dotted cotton bolls with the obvious effect of having a higher grade of cotton harvested. It should also be noted that with the elimination of the drawing of the trash into the suction chamber, the bottom of the picking unit 42 may be opened, as indicated in Pig. 4-, to permit trash to gravitate onto the ground.

The purpose of the rearwardly extending triangular shaped portion 87 of the upright plate member 85 is to prevent trash exiting through the opening 4-7 to again be drawn into the openings between the bars 46 and into the suction area of the picking unit 41. It is felt that the length of the portion 87 is such that the trash will be clear of the suction created by both the doffer struc ture lit) and by the suction ducts 23.

Referring now to the picking unit 40 to the left of the plant passage is, the accumulation of trash within the harvesting mechanism is somewhat reduced inasmuch as generally the loose trash on the cotton plants will be removed by the forward picking spindles 191 of the forward drum 1G0. Consequently, the quantity of trash brought into the housing or picking unit structure will be considerably less in the picking unit 49. In operation the picking unit will be considerably similar to that of the previously described picking unit 41. The pressure plates will operate to maintain the plant in contact with the forward spindles 101 until the plants have reached a position where they come into contact with the picking, spindles 166 of the rear picking drum 165. The picking drum rotating in the direction of the arrow C will cause the spindles to move in an orbit from front to rear through the grid bars 122 and reenter the picking or harvesting compartment at the rear of the compartment.

trifugally the trash from the cotton plants substantially in the direction of the arrow L and through the trash discharge opening 124. Again the upright member 140 is positioned to intercept trash which would move off the spindles in the direction of the doffing mechanism 170 and by air leaving through the vent and slot means 145 the trash'which would normally pass into the doffer is driven outwardly through the trash opening 124. It will again be noted that the apex or terminal edge of the triangular shaped portion 141 is adjacent the peripheral orbit of the outer ends of the picking spindles 166 and operates to peel off the trash from the spindles.

The dofiing structure 170 will create a draft which will normally drive the cotton bolls into the door structure 130. Air supplying the draft caused by the rotation of the doffer structure 170 moves between the bars 125 of the rear upright housing structure 123 in the direction of the arrow M. Consequently, the air fed to the doffer structure 170 is fed directly from the atmosphere and not through the picking or harvesting area of the picking unit 40.

Referring now to the door 130, air is fed to the suction duct 24 through the perforations in the top panel 159 and in the panel members 158, 160 in the side and rear panels as indicated by the arrows N1, N2 respectively. As was in the case of the right picking unit 41, by providing an air feed of this nature, air is not drawn from the spindle or harvesting chamber and consequently the trash accumulated in that chamber from the picking operation is not transferred into the duct 24 to cause trash laden cotton bolls to be blown in the basket 20. Again, the rearwardly extending triangular portion 142 extends rearwardly of the rear upright housing structure 123 sufficiently to prevent trash leaving through the opening 124 to move through the bars 125 and into the air supply being fed to the doffing structure 170.

It will be' noted that in both the picking units 40, 41 that the spindle portion of the picking units are substantially separated from the discharge area of the picking units. More specifically, the air containing the trash from the picking operation is not permitted to enter into the discharge area of the picking unit. Likewise, air which is used for purposes of discharging the cotton bolls into the basket 20 is fed directly from the atmosphere to the suction ducts 23, 24 and does not pass through the harvesting mechanism. The ultimate effect, as mentioned, is a high grade quality of picked cotton.

While only one form of the invention has been shown, it should be recognized that other forms and variations will be suggested.' It should therefore be understood that while the preferred embodiment of the invention was shown and described in detail for purposes of fully and concisely illustrating the principles of the invention, there is no intent to narrow or limit the invention beyond that set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: Y

1. Panel means forming a door structure of the character described, comprising: a front upright panel; inner and outer upright panels respectively extending rear- -wardly from opposite upright ends of the front panel to respective upright rear terminal edges, the latter panels being spaced apart transversely and having horizontally -coplanar top edges and horizontally coplanar bottom ,edges, the outer panel being longer than the inner panel in fore-and-aft dimension to dispose its rear edge rearwardly beyond the rear edge of the inner panel, a top panel plate substantially equal in length to the outer panel and having inner and outer fore-and'aft edge por- -tions secured respectively to the panel top edges and further having a rear edge transverse to the outer panel at the junction of, the top and rear edges of said outer panel, said top plate having a front e ge omp emen the upper edge of the front panel; a bottom panel plate having a front edge coincident with and secured to the bottom edge of the front panel and further having inner and outer fore-and-aft edge portions secured respectively to the bottom edges of the side panels, said bottom plate having a rear edge in vertical alinement with the rear edge of the top plate, an upright rear wall panel having top and bottom edges secured to the rear edges of the top and bottom plates and an outer upright edge secured to the rear edge of the outer panel, said rear wall panel having an upright inner edge to provide, with said inner panel rear edge and the inner edge portions of the top and bottom plates that exceed the length of the inner panel, a rectangular inner side opening in the door structure; an upright partition spaced rearwardly of the front panel having opposite upright edges fixed to the inner and outer panels respectively, an upper transverse edge adjacent the top panel and a lower terminal edge spaced from the bottom plate and serving to divide the door structure into front and rear adjoining compartments, said panels thereby having portions forward of the partition defining the front compartment and portions rearward of the partition defining the rear compartment, said portions of the panels rearward of the partition having at least part thereof perforate, said portions of the panels forward of the partition being imperforate; and means in the forward compartment effecting communication with a suction duct.

2. Panel means forming a door structure of the character described, comprising: a front upright panel; inner and outer upright panels respectively extending rearwardly from opposite upright ends of the front panel to respective upright rear terminal edges, the latter panels ,being substantially parallel and spaced apart transversely and having horizontally coplanar top edges and horizontally coplanar bottom edges, the outer panel being longer than the inner panel in fore-and-aft dimension to dispose its rear edge rearwardly beyond the rear edge of the inner panel, a top panel plate substantially equal in length .to the outer panel and having inner and outer fore-and-aft edge portions secured respectively to the panel top edges and further having a rear edge transverse to the outer panel at the junction of the top'and rear edges of said outer panel, said top plate having a front edge complementing the upper edge of the front panel; a bottom imperforate panel plate having a front edge coincident with and secured to the bottom edge of the front panel and further having inner and outer fore-and-aft edge portions secured respectively to the bottom edges of the side panels, said bottom plate having a transverse rear edge in vertical alinement with the rear edge of the top plate, an upright perforated rear wall panel having top and bottom edges secured to the rear edges of the top and bottom plates and an outer upright edge secured to the rear edge of the outer panel, said rear wall panel 'having an upright inner edge to provide, with said inner panel rear edge and the inner edge portions of the top and bottom plates that exceed the length of the inner panel, a rectangular inner side opening in the door structure; an upright imperforate partition spaced rearwardly of the front panel having opposite upright edges fixed to the inner and outer panels respectively, an upper transverse edge adjacent the top panel and a lower terminal edge spaced from the bottom plate and serving to divide the door structure into front and rear adjoining compartments, said panels thereby having portions forword of the partition defining the front compartment and ,eifecting communication with a suction duct.

3,; Adoor structure of the character described, comprising: a front upright panel; inner and outer upright flll panels respectively extending rearwardly from opposite upright ends of the front panel to respective upright rear terminal edges, the latter panels being spaced apart transversely and having horizontally coplanar top edges and horizontally coplanar bottom edges, a top panel plate having inner and outer fore-andaft edge portions secured respectively to the panel top edges and further having a rear edge transverse to the outer panel at the junction of the top and rear edges of said outer panel, said top plate having a front edge adjacent the upper edge of the front panel; a bottom panel plate having a front edge coincident with and secured to the bottom edge of the front panel and further having inner and outer fore-and-aft edge portions rigid with the respective bottom edges of the side panels, said bottom plate having a rear edge in vertical alinement with the rear edge of the top plate, an upright perforated rear wall panel having top and bottom edges rigid with the rear edges of the top and bottom plates respectively, and an outer edge rigid with the rear edge of the outer panel, said rear wall panel having an upright inner edge to provide, with said inner panel rear edge and the inner edge portions of the top and bottom plates, a rectangular inner side opening in the door structure and transversely disposed partition panel structure spacedly forwardly of and spacedly rearwardly of the rear panel and front panel respectively for dividing the door structure into front and rear compartments, said partition panel structure having a lower terminal edge spaced above the bottom plate to define an opening between the compartments.

4. A door structure of the character described, comprising: a front upright panel; inner and outer upright panels respectively extending rearwardly from opposite upright ends of the front panel to respective upright rear terminal edges, the latter panels being substantially parallel and spaced apart transversely and having hori zontally coplanar top edges and horizontally coplanar bottom edges, the outer panel being longer than the inner panel in fore-and-aft dimension to dispose its rear edge rearwardly beyond the rear edge of the inner panel, said outer panel thereby having a portion thereof forward of and a portion rearward of the rear edge of the inner panel, said rearward portion being at least partially perforate, said forward portion being imperforate, a top panel plate substantially equal in length to the outer panel and having inner and outer fore-and-aft edge portions rigid with the panel top edges and further having a rear edge transverse to the outer panel at the junction of the top and rear edges of said outer panel, said top plate also having a portion thereof forward of and a portion rearward of the rear edge of the inner panel, said rearward portion of the top plate being at least partially perforate, said forward portion of the top plate being imperforate, said top plate having a front edge adjacent the upper edge of the front panel; a bottom panel plate having a front edge coincident with and secured to the bottom edge of the front panel and further having inner and outer foreand-aft edge portions secured respectively to the bottom edges of the side panels, said bottom plate having a rear edge in vertical alin-ement with the rear edge of the top plate, an upright perforated rear wall panel having top and bottom edges rigid with the rear edges of the top and bottom plates respectively, and an outer edge rigid with the rear edge of the outer panel, said rear wall panel having an upright inner edge to provide, with said inner panel rear edge and the inner edge portions of the top and bottom plates th t exceed the length of the inner panel, a rectangular inner side opening the door structure; and a transversely disposed partition panel structure fixed to the inner and outer panels adjacent the rear edge of the inner panel dividing the door structure into front and rear compartments, said latter panel structure having a lower terminal edge spaced from the bottom plat defining an opening between the compartments.

5. A door structure of the character described, comprising: a front upright panel; inner and outer upright panels respectively extending rearwardly from opposite upright ends of the front panel to respective upright rear terminal edges, the latter panels being spaced apart transversely and having horizontally coplanar top edges and horizontally coplanar bottom edges, the outer panel being longer than the inner panel in fore-and-aft dimension to dispose its rear edge rearwardly beyond the rear edge of the inner panel, a top panel plate having inner and outer fore-and-aft edge portions rigid with the respective panel top edges and further having a rear edge transverse to the outer panel at the junction of the top and rear edges of said outer panel, said top plate thereby also having a portion thereof forward of and a portion rearward of the rear edge of the inner panel, said rearward portion of the top plate being at least partially perforate, said forward portion of the top plate being imperforate, said top plate having a front edge adjacent the upper edge of the front panel; a bottom panel plate having a front edge eoincident with and rigid with the bottom edge of the front panel and further having inner and outer fore-and-aft edge portions rigid with the respective bottom edges of the side panels, said bottom plate having a transverse rear edge in vertical alinement with the rear edge of the top plate, an upright rear wall panel having top and bottom edges rigid with the rear edges of the top and bottom plates respectively, and an outer edge rigid with the rear edge of the outer panel, said rear wall panel having an upright inner edge to provide, with said inner panel rear edge and the inner edge portions of the top and bottom plates that exceed the length of the inner panel, a rectangular inner side opening in the door structure; and a transversely disposed partition panel structure fixed to the inner and outer panels adjacent the rear edge of the inner panel dividing the door structure into front and rear compartments, said latter panel structure having a lower terminal edge spaced from the bottom plate defining an opening between the compartments.

6. A door structure of the character described, comprising: a front upright panel; inner and outer upright panels respectively extending rearwardly from opposite upright ends of the front panel to respective upright rear terminal edges, the latter panels being spaced apart transversely and having horizontally coplanar top edges and horizontally coplanar bottom edges, the outer panel being longer than the inner panel in fore-and-aft dimension to dispose its rear edge rearwardly beyond the rear edge of the inner panel, said outer panel thereby having a portion thereof forward of and a portion rearward of the rear edge of the inner panel, said rearward portion being at least partially perforate, said forward portion being imperforate, a top panel plate having inner and outer fore-and-aft edge portions rigid with the panel top edges and further having a rear edge transverse to the outer panel at the junction of the top and rear edges of said outer panel, said top plate having a front edge adjacent the upper edge of the front panel; a bottom panel plate having a front edge coincident with and rigid with the bottom edge of the front panel and further having inner and outer fore-and-aft edge portions secured respectively to the bottom edges of the side panels, said bottom plate having a transverse rear edge in vertical alinement with the rear edge of the top plate, an upright rear wall panel having top and bottom edges rigid with the rear edges of the top and bottom plaes respectively, and an outer edge rigid with the rear edge of the outer panel, said rear wall panel having an upright inner edge to provide, with said inner panel rear edge and the inner edge portions of the top and bottom plates that exceed the length of the inner panel, a rectangular inner side opening in the door structure; and a transversely disposed partition panel structure fixed to the inner and outer panels adjacent the rear edge of the inner panel dividing the door structure into front and rear compartments, said latter panel structure having a lower terminal edge 13 spaced from the bottom plate defining an opening between the compartments.

7. A door structure of the character described comprising: panel means dividing said-door structure into front and rear adjoining compartments, one compartment opening to one side, the other compartment having a suction Opening for communicating with a suction means, said panel means including an upright panel separating the front and rear compartments and defining with the other panel means a lower opening common to both compartments and effective to permit communication between said one compartment and said other compartment, the panel means of said one compartment being at least partially perforate, the panel means forming said'other compartment being-imperforate except for said common opening and said suction opening.

8. The invention defined in'claim 7 and in which said one compartment being at least partially perforate includes a panel opposite to and facing the opening to one side which is at least partially grilled to permit passage of air.

9. The invention defined in claim 8 in which at least a portion of the grilled part of the panel is on substantially the same level as the lower opening common to both compartments.

10. The invention defined in claim 7 in which said panel means of the compartment opening to one side includes an upright panel with an upright edge adjacent to and forming an edge of the opening, said panel being of at least partially grilled construction to permit passage of air.

11. The invention defined in claim 7' in which said panel means of the compartment opening to one side includes an overhead panel closing the upperfside of the compartment, said overhead panel being of at least partially grilled construction to permit passagev of air.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I Swim Jugs; 1956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,912,285 November 10, 1959 Arthur L.) Hubbard It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correct-ion and that the said Letters Patent should readas corrected below.

Column 10, lines '70, '71, and '72, for defining the front compartment m and said portions of the panels forward of the being imperfora te, read being at least partially perforate, said portions of the panels forward of the partition being imperforate;

Signed and sealed this 26th da; of April 1960a (SEAL) Attest:

KARL H. AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

